simple beginners yoga

7/27/2019 Simple Beginners Yoga

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Mountain Pose against the wall with arms raised above your head

Mountain Pose against the wallwith bound arms raised above headTadasana Urdhva Baddha Hastasana

This pose helps to create length and space in the spine, which can be compressed

during pregnancy. It lifts the spirits, helping to treat depression and boost self-

confidence.

Stand against a wall with your feet hip width apart. Have the backs of your heels and base of your skull

touching the wall.

Exhale and stretching up through the crown of your head, mindfully lift your arms in front of you to

shoulder level with your palms facing one another.

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Pause here. Roll your biceps to face the ceiling and move them up toward the clavicals.

Now raise your arms above your head so that they are perpendicular to the floor.

If you are tight in the shoulders this may not be possible without bending your arms.

If this is the case it is fine to have your arms in front of your head.

Bring your awareness back to your feet. Spread your toes, press in to the balls of your feet and heels

evenly, and lift your arches up. Move your top buttocks to your bottom buttocks and move your pubic

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bone towards your navel. Lift your lower ribcage away from your pelvis and stretch through to your

fingertips from your waist.

Slide the entire inside blades of your scapula down toward your sacrum and press the bottom points of

your scapula in to the back of your ribcage. Stretch your fingertips, sides of your neck and crown of your

head up toward the ceiling.

Press your feet down as you stretch your fingertips further up toward the sky. Breathe evenly.

Keep your eyes, face and throat soft. Make sure that your chin is level and your gaze is level.

To come out of the pose; exhale your arms down the front of your body, coming to stand in tadasana

with your arms at your sides.

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Half Standing Forward Bend with Hands on the Wall

Half Standing Forward Bend with Hands on the WallArdha Uttanasana

This pose increases flexibility in the front chest and armpit area, and builds strength in

the back chest and shoulders. This helps to relieve tension in the shoulders, built up

from stress and helps to increase lung capacity. As the body is coming forward over the

legs, the hamstring muscles are being lengthened while the quadriceps are being

strengthened.

Begin by standing in tadasana, facing the wall.

Press all four corners of your feet into the mat.

Place your hands mindfully on the wall at hip height, with the fingers spread.

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Step back with your feet hip width apart and lower your torso until you come into a flat back position,

keeping your ears in line with your upper arms.

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Press the big toe mound, little toe mound, inner heel and outer heel down into the floor.

Move the outer calf muscles back and press the top of the shinbone down into the heel, to open up the

backs of the knee.

Move both sides of your pubic bone, your inner thighs and your outer thighs back. These actions will

press the top of the front thigh onto the thighbone and lengthen the lower back.

Press your index finger and thumb mound firmly into the wall.

Move the inside blade of your scapula down your spine, towards your ischium bones. Press the bottom

tip of your scapula into the back ribcage and lift the lower sternum into the diaphragm, so that the front

and back body are of even length.

Take long, smooth and even breaths here.

To come out of the pose bend your knees, step your feet toward the wall and bring your body to upright.

Bring your hands by your sides and stand here in tadasana, breathing naturally.

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Forward Facing Extended Prayer Pose

Forward Facing Extended Prayer PoseAdho Mukha Utthita Namaste

Practising this pose increases flexibility in the shoulder region in a very safe way. It

teaches the practitioner how to open the shoulders, while keeping the lower ribcage

contained and the sacrum long. This pose releases tension in the shoulders and

increases lung capacity. It is an excellent preparatory pose for Feather of a Peacock

Pose, and Headstand.

Begin this pose by lying on your front in prone savasana. Have your heels rolling away from one

another, your arms relaxed and your forehead on the floor.

Bring your inner thighs, inner knees and inner ankles together. Extend your fingertips toward your heels,

so that your arms are straight and energized. Lengthen your sacrum towards your heels and draw your

pubic bone towards your navel.

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Breathe here, feeling the alignment of your spine in Prone Mountain Pose.

Bend your elbows one at a time and bring your elbows on to the floor in front of you. Have your inner

elbows, forearms, and palms merging into one another. It may not be possible at this point in time to

have your elbows and forearms together. But over time, with persistent practice, it will happen.

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Move your elbows away from the crown of your head, descending your upper arm bones down to the

floor.

Check that your sacrum is still moving towards your heels, and that your pubic bone is moving towards

your navel.

Roll the tops of your arms and your biceps to the ceiling, and your underneath arms and your triceps to

the floor. Move your triceps to your elbows and your biceps to your heels.

Breathe here inhaling for four. and exhaling for four.

Allow your armpits to open up and move closer to the earth. Eventually the whole of your upper arm

bones will descend on the floor.

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To come out of the pose; release your arms one by one and bring them back by your sides. Relax your

arms and legs, and rest here in prone savasana.

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Downward Facing Dog

Downward Facing DogAdhomukha Svanasana

In downward facing dog the head is lower than the heart; this allows the brain to be

bathed in blood, calming the brain and gently stimulating the nerves. It checks heavy

menstrual flow and helps to prevent hot flushes during menopause. On a purely

physical level, downward facing dog stretches the entire back body, especially the arms,

shoulders, hips hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon.

Place your hands mindfully on to your mat with your fingers evenly spread.

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Downward Facing Dog

Tuck your toes underneath, lift your sitting bones and allow them to pull you up and back into downward

facing dog.

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Downward Facing Dog

Move your pelvis into a dog tilt position and press the top of your thighs firmly on to your femur bones,

creating length and spaciousness in the spine.

Check that your feet are straight, your toes are spread evenly and your heels are descending toward the

floor.

Breathe here, feeling the whole body being stretched and opened. Notice yourprana or life force flowing

through your body. Notice any points of resistance, breathing in to them deeply.

In downward facing dog the head is lower than the heart; this allows the brain to be bathed in blood,

calming the brain and gently stimulating the nerves. It checks heavy menstrual flow and helps to prevent

hot flushes during menopause. On a purely physical level, downward facing dog stretches the entire

back body, especially the arms, shoulders, hips hamstrings, calves and Achilles tendon

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Downward Facing Dog

Exhale, come down on to your hands and knees and quietly bring yourself to kneeling in vajrasana.

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Downward Facing Dog

Connect to your breath and come in to this present moment.

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Revolved Thunderbolt Pose

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Now firmly press the back of your left hand on to your outside right knee, and use this as leverage to

draw your left side body further around towards the right.

At the same time, use the support of your right hand and arm to take your right side body back.

Breathe here, ensuring that your fontanel is in line with your pelvic floor.

To deepen; take your right hand to your left foot, lift up through your armpit chest, and move the bottom

tips of both scapulas firmly into your back.

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Remember to keep your armpit chest lifted, as you press the bottom tips of your scapulas into your back,

elongating both your front and back collar bones.

When you are ready to turn a little more, deepening into the movement, take your left hand to your right

foot.

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Inhale as you move back to the centre, and sit quietly for a few more breaths.

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Locust Pose

Locust Pose

Salabhasana

Due to the position of the front of the body against the ground, there is pressure, and a

stretch to the abdomen, so this movement will help digestion. It can also give relief to

those suffering from flatulence. When there is correct action in the lumbar region, the

lower back will be strengthened and made stable.

Begin by lying prone.

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Locust Pose

Bring your forehead on to the floor and your legs together. With the tops of your feet against the floor,

have your legs and arms straight, palms facing skyward. Lengthen your lower back, by drawing your

navel towards your spine, and tucking your coccyx in, so that your coccyx feels as though it is moving

closer to your pubic bone.

Simultaneously, raise your head, chest, arms, and legs away from the floor.

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Locust Pose

Squeeze your legs together, whilst you maintain the extension in your back, and up through your legs.Keep your arms straight and lift your armpits and chest, as you descend your scapulas toward your

sacrum.

Keep your breath flowing smoothly.

Exhale; release carefully down to the floor and rest for a few breaths, with your right ear on the floor.

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Reclining Hand to Big Toe Pose with a strap

Reclining Hand to Big Toe Pose with a strapSupta Padangusthasana

The hamstring muscles at the back of the thigh originate from the bottom of the pelvis. When

these muscles are tight they can pull the pelvis out of alignment, causing lower back pain. This

pose is wonderful for those who suffer from lower back issues as it helps to realign the pelvis

and lengthen the hamstring muscles. The sciatic nerve is also affected by tightness in this area

as it runs from the pelvis through the buttocks and down through the hamstring muscles. Any

poses like this one - that stretches these muscles - will help to relieve sciatic pain.

Begin by sitting in dandasana.

Bend your knees and on an exhalation, slowly roll down your spine to come to lying on your back.

Extend your left leg and bend your right knee into your chest.

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Place the strap around the ball of your right foot, holding the strap in each hand. Have your shoulders

relaxed and your chest open. Inhale and straighten your right leg.

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Roll your right outer hip down so that the ischium bones are level. Extend through your right heel,

pressing your inner right heel away from you, so that your foot is square to the ceiling.

As the stretch begins to diminish, bring the right leg closer to your chest by walking your hands further

up the strap. Then again, allow your shoulders to relax toward the floor.

Elongate both your inner heels and the crown of your head away from your pelvis so that you are

pressing outward in all directions.

Lengthen your waist, elongating both sides evenly and soften your lower rib cage back towards the floor.

Move the inside blades of your scapula down your spine and into the body, keeping your heart centre

open.

Bring your awareness back to the breath, inhaling for four and exhaling for four.

Observe the tendencies of your mind, what are your ingrained thinking patterns that are being repeated

over and over again? Do not judge or analyse them, just observe it and then bring your awareness back

to the breath.

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On your next exhalation bend your right knee, release the strap and come to lying on your back, resting

here for a moment.

Now bend your left leg into your chest.

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Place the strap around the ball of your foot. Holding on to the strap with both hands, inhale and

straighten your left foot to the ceiling.

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Extend your right leg strongly from your right inner ischium bone to your right inner heel.

Pull your right little toe back towards you, so that the foot is vertical and all the toes are in a line.

Press the back of the right thigh down into the mat.

Roll your left outer hip down so that the ischium bones of the pelvis are level.

Extend through your left heel, pressing your inner left heel away from you, so that your foot is square to

the ceiling.

Again, as the stretch begins to diminish, bring the raised leg closer to your chest by walking your hands

further up the strap.

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Lengthen your waist, elongating both sides evenly, and draw your lower rib cage back. Against this,

press your scapula into the back of your rib cage, keeping your heart centre open.

Relax the front of your throat and soften your facial muscles. Let your eyes soften back into their eye

sockets and broaden the skin on your forehead.

Bring your awareness back to the breath and the tendencies of the mind.

On your next exhalation bend your left knee, release the strap and come to lying on your back. Breathe

here, feeling the whole of your back body on the mat.

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Inhale your chin into your chest and roll up through your spine to come to sitting in dandasana.

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Happy Childs Pose

Happy Childs PoseAnanda Balasana

With the body in this position, the abdominal organs are being squeezed. When the

body is released the organs will be flushed with a fresh supply of blood, helping to aid

digestive, excretory and reproduction function. In this pose the inner groins receive a

gentle stretch, also aiding in supplying the pelvic area and organs of the reproduction

system with fresh blood. Because of this, this is a helpful pose for women suffering from

infertility.

Begin by sitting in dandasana.

Bend your knees and roll down through your spine, to come to lying on the floor.

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Happy Childs Pose

Bring your knees in toward your armpits and take hold of your big toes with your thumb, middle and

index fingers.

Position both your ankles over your knees, so that your shins are perpendicular to the floor and bring

your knees closer to your armpits.

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Happy Childs Pose

If you cant hold on to your toes you can take a strap and place it around the sole of each foot.

Press your big toe mounds and inner heels up toward the ceiling and move your little toe mounds and

outer heels down toward your knees. This action will ensure that your feet are flat as in tadasana.

Now push your feet up in to your hands or belts, as you pull your hands down toward your body. This

will do two things; firstly it will deepen the stretch in your groins, secondly it will open your chest more so

that the breath can flow freely.

Connect with your breath, noticing its texture. Is it smooth or shaky, long or shallow, even or uneven?

Witness the breath, without changing the breath.

Allow your eyes to soften into their eye sockets, the skin on your forehead to be broad and your voice

box to relax.

The muscles that run along the back of the spine are gently stretched in this pose, as well as the spinal

column, kidneys and adrenals. This action helps to calm the nervous system and quieten the mind.

Inhale Exhale

Quietly bring your heels toward your buttocks, release your hands and hug your knees in to your chest.

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Relaxation

RelaxationSavasana

Savasana should always be practised at the end of every asana practise or any time on

its own. It unites the mind, body, emotions and spiritual aspects of the self together. It

relieves physical and mental fatigue and soothes the sympathetic nervous system. It

speeds up recovery after illness and helps toward a refreshing, dreamless sleep. It is a

boon for those who suffer from sleeping disorders and insomnia.

To prepare forsavasana, take whatever clothes you need to put on, to maintain a comfortable body

temperature, and two blankets. Place one folded blanket at the top of your mat to rest your head on and

the other blanket to put over you to keep warm.

Sit in dandasana with a blanket at the end of your feet. Now bend your knees and bring your buttocks

toward your heels. Take hold of the blanket. Lower your back vertebrae by vertebrae onto your mat,

pulling your blanket over you as you roll down.

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Relaxation

Rest your head on the folded blanket and straighten your legs one by one.

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Relaxation

Adjust your head blanket if needed so that the folded edge sits at the base of your skull.

Bring the back of your arms onto the floor about a foot away from your body with your palms facing up.

The centre of your back should be in the centre of your mat. Position your buttocks evenly on the centre

of the mat and extend your legs straight, one by one. Spread out your arms to the sides, with the back

of your palms resting on the floor.

Your feet should be hip width apart with your little toes rolling toward the floor, your big toes following

and your legs completely relaxed. Allow your weight to rest evenly on your buttocks, shoulders and back

of your head. Close your eyes by bringing your upper eyelids down, taking your eyes deeper inside.

Exhale; focusing on your breathing, keep your diaphragm soft and free of tension. Keep your arms a

comfortable distance from your body. If they are too near, your shoulders will be tense and if they are

too far there will be no sensitivity. Stretch your shoulders away from your ears. Lengthen the back of

your neck and soften the front of your throat until you feel a soothing sensation in the neck. Relax your

facial muscles and your jaw, ensuring that your teeth arent clenched.

Your breathing should be smooth and free of tension, but not deep. Let it be like the silk in a spider web;

clear, smooth and subtle. Let your eyes fall into the eye sockets and allow external surroundings to

recede. Draw all your senses inward, resting your mind on the spaciousness in between your thoughts.

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Relaxation

If your mind begins to wander, bring your awareness back to the space in between your thoughts and

rest your awareness here. You will notice the thoughts still trying to surface; drop your awareness

underneath this layer of self and rest in that ever present, unchanging aspect of self.

To come out of savasana, firstly begin to deepen your breath - taking deeper inhalations and

exhalations. Without tensing your neck and throat, bring your arms to your sides and your legs together.

Inhale your right arm above your head and gently roll to your right side, keeping your knees bent and

resting your head on your upper arm. Pause here, allowing an inner cue to tell you when to sit up. To

come to sitting, bring your left palm on the floor in front of you and gently push yourself up to sitting,

bringing your head up last. Make your way into a comfortable crossed leg position with your hands on

your knees and your chest lifted. Take some deep breaths here and then quietly open your eyes. Feel

the calmness and quietness you are now experiencing.

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Relaxation

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Relaxation

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